{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/web/judges/3","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-06-09T23:19:40.222Z"},"reference":{"translation":"WEB","book":"Judges","bookSlug":"judges","chapter":3,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":2,"nextChapter":4,"totalChapters":21,"totalVerses":31},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;"},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:"},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"[namely], the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath."},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"They were [left], to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by Moses."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:"},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"The Spirit of Yahweh came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"The land had rest forty years. Othniel the son of Kenaz died."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"He gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"But when the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh."},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute."},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, |I have a secret errand to you, king.| The king said, |Keep silence!| All who stood by him went out from him."},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, |I have a message from God to you.| He arose out of his seat."},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:"},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"and the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind."},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them."},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, |Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.|"},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth."},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah."},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"It happened, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he before them."},{"verseNumber":28,"text":"He said to them, |Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.| They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow any man to pass over."},{"verseNumber":29,"text":"They struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man."},{"verseNumber":30,"text":"So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. The land had rest eighty years."},{"verseNumber":31,"text":"After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad: and he also saved Israel."}],"citation":{"inline":"Judges 3 (WEB)","markdown":"[Judges 3](https://primebible.com/web/judges/3)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* WEB. https://primebible.com/web/judges/3 (accessed 2026-06-09)."}}